Community Forums

fotoman7 · 01-13-2014, 04:02 PM

I am new to RV'ing. 2006 Damon Daybreak V10. I'm already tired of towing with only 2 wheels down. Can anybody tell me what the best used tow vehicle is, without paying a fortune?

jmoffat · 01-13-2014, 04:13 PM

I just bought a 2004 Jeep wrangler 4 WD very light and towable with 4 on the ground
Jim

dnystrom · 01-13-2014, 04:28 PM

We to a Subaru Forester STICK SHIFT. Pulls very well and right at 3000 lbs with plenty of room inside. Jeeps are good also but expensive and some are hard to get in and out of. They are may out there so just look to see what will fill your needs.

StevenNSteph · 01-13-2014, 04:33 PM

No way to answer your question. How many in your group, a Mazda Miata is a great sporty toad but it only seats 2. Jeeps are awesome if you like 4X4ing but are expensive, and ride comfort is not the best. Subaru's combine the ability to do some off-roading with better ride quality, but they tend to be a little bit on the expensive side to purchase and like Jeeps have some maintenance issue. I have a Hyundai Elantra which has been bulletproof maintenance wise, I average 32 MPG and my curb weight is 2780 lbs (most jeeps are around 3400) but have zero off-roading ability.

The bottom line is I know RVers that own all of the above (and also know people who have Honda CRV's, Hummers, and a bunch of others). Almost all of them will say their toad is best.

**CountryFit** · 01-13-2014, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevenNSteph

No way to answer your question... Almost all of them will say their toad is best.

agreed. no "the best", it's an individual thing.
by the way, to OP, you can search the topic at right-upper corner of the fame and get a lot of hits; or flip down to see one asking the same question.

plasma800 · 01-13-2014, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dnystrom

We to a Subaru Forester STICK SHIFT. Pulls very well and right at 3000 lbs with plenty of room inside. Jeeps are good also but expensive and some are hard to get in and out of. They are may out there so just look to see what will fill your needs.

X2ondthe subie, we really like our subaru outback manual tranny

Arch Hoagland · 01-13-2014, 11:23 PM

I've pulled a Mazda Miata, Suzuki XL7 and a Lexus RX300. As the previous people have said...there is no perfect one.

We tow the Lexus now because it rides a lot better when we are exploring from our campsite, however it is twice as heavy as the Miata. Lots of tradeoffs.

I'd buy a used vehicle for sure....the Lexus had a 100,000 miles on it when I bought it.

njs42 · 01-14-2014, 12:02 AM

The two most popular tow vehicles are the Honda CR-V and the Jeep Wrangler. Two very different vehicles but alike with respect to their weight, tow ability, ease of set up, and general popularity.

They each have high resale values so you pay a little more when buying used however their popularity is earned by preforming well.

It is easy to decide after driving which one would suit your needs better.

If they interest you and you are undecided my suggestion is to consult consumers report on each before you buy. It may help you decide.

Mr_D · 01-14-2014, 12:09 AM

Had a '97 Jeep GC full time all wheel drive. Easy to tow, but rough riding and poor gas mileage. Now tow our '05 Odyssey either four down or on a dolly. If I were buying again I'd get a CR-V since it rides better and gets OK fuel mileage (only 1 mpg more than our '05 Ody and the Ody weighs 1,000#'s more) I wish they'd put a V-6 in the CR-V as the 4 cyl in there just isn't quite enough.
Now, if want off road capability then it'd be a Jeep but we're too old for that rough stuff now.

Medico · 01-14-2014, 06:31 AM

If you want an automatic transmission, Jeeps with a transfer case (Grand Cherokee, Cherokee, Wrangler and Liberty) can all be towed 4 down, with transfer case in Neutral, transmission in Park (does not add to odometer) and key removed (later models do not have steering wheel locks). Very easy to tow. Somewhat expensive to have system installed. Have to have a baseplate to match to a tow bar, plus most places you will go require a separate braking system in toad, usually with a break away feature.

donandmax · 01-14-2014, 08:46 AM

Try a Smart Car we love ours

Sky_Boss · 01-14-2014, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by njs42

The two most popular tow vehicles are the Honda CR-V and the Jeep Wrangler. Two very different vehicles but alike with respect to their weight, tow ability, ease of set up, and general popularity.

...

It is easy to decide after driving which one would suit your needs better....

Well said so let me add a couple more points...

1. Auto or stick shift? An automatic tranny will reduce your options.

2. Speed restrictions. Most Jeeps (not all) can be towed without any speed restrictions. Honda puts a 65 MPH towing speed limit on the CRV. I cruse @ 62 MPH most of the time anyway.

We opted for the CRV because we don't have any plans to go off trail, better fuel economy, it was an automatic tranny and is big enough to haul our 2 GSDs in. (Short story...Sandee wanted it.

)

fotoman7 · 01-14-2014, 03:19 PM

Thanks everyone. Appreciate the help. I'm leaning towards the Liberty, Subie or CRV.

Chiefbvfd · 01-15-2014, 06:26 AM

I towed a 2006 Chevy HHR for 8 years and it was the best toad I ever had. I would have bought a new one but they discontinued them in 2010. The new Buick I bought is not towable so I am now towing my 2012 Colorado pickup. I tows good too, but a 1,000# heavier than the HHR....JMHO...